Although he lost to mainstream hit flicks like "Shrek 2" and "Spider-Man 2" at the box office, Moore had the last laugh, taking advantage of the People's Choice Awards' new Internet voting system to enable "Fahrenheit" to trounce those flicks as favorite motion picture.

In year's past, People's Choice winners had been determined by the Gallup Organization, a national pollster. This year, for the first time, "the people" voted online — and Moore used his popular Web site to tell the film's fans that a vote for "Fahrenheit 9/11" was a vote against President Bush.

"He may have been (barely) the people's choice on Nov. 2, but now the people get to vote again, this time for a movie," Moore wrote on his site.

Many left-wing groups — and even Barbra Streisand — linked to Moore's site.

Accepting the award, Moore didn't refer to his call for ballot-stuffing.

"We live in a great country," he said. "And we all love our country very much."

He dedicated the award to the "mothers and fathers across this country with sons and daughters in Iraq."

He added that he would accept the vote as "an inspiration to make more movies like 'Fahrenheit 9/11.'"

"When you circumvent the [studio] system, I depended on you, and you were there," Gibson told the crowd in Pasadena, Calif.

The people still showed their affection for "Shrek 2," giving it three awards: favorite sequel, favorite movie comedy and favorite animated movie.

The annual show — a traditional kickoff to an awards season that culminates with the Oscars — was hosted by Malcolm Jamal Warner and Jason Alexander, co-stars of the CBS comedy "Listen Up," which did not get a nomination for favorite new comedy, Alexander repeatedly pointed out.

Julia Roberts — also probably just stuck in traffic — won favorite female movie star for the 10th time, a record.

Johnny Depp, who starred last year in "Finding Neverland," was the winner of the male version of the award.

Renée Zellweger won for favorite leading lady, while Brad Pitt won for favorite leading man. Pitt, who has split from wife Jennifer Aniston, was not on hand to accept his award.

"Newlyweds" star Jessica Simpson lost a singing award to Sheryl Crow. But her reality show did win.